Téir Abhaile Riú
by Lil' Ass Kicker
Summary: "It's just, I'm looking after my niece for... well forever and she's ill today and she might not, lass have I buggered this up already?" (Or where Killian looks after his niece after her parents die and it leads him to meeting the love of his life.)
**I do not own Once Upon A Time, I own no characters you may read about in this story and I own no plot lines to the original, fantastic, show. Also, I don't own the song that this story is titled from. I've had the worst luck because I wrote about 6000 words and then my computer turned it into all numbers and codes, not a happy bunny right now.**

 **Alas, I have to start again and feel like crying after a crappy day. Life, children, sucks.**

 **I suggest when reading this to begin listening to the song Téir Abhaile Riú by Celtic Woman live, just search it up on YouTube because the beginning is Irish (I understand most of it! *smiley face here*) and the rest is basically English but some Irish within it. :)**

 **Téir Abhaile Riú**

 **3rd Person**

It all began when Killian was only twenty two years old, when his niece turned two. Her mother, Elsa who has practically been Liam's girlfriend for all of Killian's life, had been trying to learn about his and Liam's roots for close to eleven years and in her search she'd found love for a band. A band Killian has labelled as the Life Ruiners.

(However, unfortunately, he had to change that name to Angel Voiced Life Ruiners when he heard only one song and fell in love with it- not that he'd ever tell her.)

Elsa had been with Liam since the two turned sixteen, began searching for connections to their 'culture' in both England and Ireland within one year and never stopped, not once did she give up on her search for Irish roots. That is how she happened to come across this band she soon found immense affection for and Killian's life officially ended.

When Elsa and Liam had their baby girl around nine years ago, she'd found this band whom he'd ever only known one song of and she refused to tell him the name of it- sometimes he really hated her- and Elsa used to play it to her every night in her crib.

It was when his niece turned one and a half that he realized how badly he hated this passionate love for this bloody band. His niece had began laughing and grinning, even occasionally singing along to the Irish (and English) words in the different songs but he couldn't find it in himself to be aggravated with it.

(Killian has always been a softy for his niece, but he'll never tell anyone because the little girl knows and she _always_ uses it.)

He used to get to see her every Friday when he babysat her from the age of eight months, every single Friday he'd see his darling niece seeing as it was the start of his weekend as he worked Sunday afternoons and made up the time on the Friday's. Killian would always play that one song Elsa had sent him on Bluetooth (labelled as 'you'll never know') and bounce his baby niece around his living room as he sang along to the unusual language he's learnt for the better part of his life.

Irish used to be taught in his school and he'd always been thrilled to learn what his mother seemed to know off by heart and recited every day in a joyful tone, so he'd plunged himself into the foreign speech and never gave up on his quest to learn- eventually knowing that barely anyone spoke Irish but he continued anyway.

Killian wishes they still taught the bloody language so that his niece could learn, he wants her to have that from her wonderful grandmother- Connie Elizabeth- but Liam never seemed to keen.

It was when his niece turned two that he realized his little Saoirse isn't as free and liberal as he name suggests, she'd been sucked into the band just as easily as her mother and dance around with him in his living room pretending to be a princess and him being the sailor he's been all his life- no need to pretend there.

Elsa had booked the two tickets to see the band for his nieces seventh birthday, which at the time was a good five years away but Elsa always managed to grab hold of tickets and this band had a tour planned for every year for the next ten years- something Killian couldn't wrap his head around really, he can't see how they can be so sure they'll still be together by then.

Little Saoirse had squealed and cried in excitement when she'd heard the news two years later.

In the same year she cried for a very different reason as did he, he's not exactly proud of how he went about it either.

That year, on the day of her fifth birthday, Killian was dancing around with her in his kitchen while making cookies for her party later on- it was a Friday, Liam and Elsa were picking up her cake, which meant he got to spend most of the day with her, to both of their delights- when he'd gotten a call and their little fantasy of playing ended.

He'd not told her why she suddenly had to get into her coat and shoes, or why he drove to the hospital in a mad rush- he couldn't, not until he was sure. Killian had left her with a receptionist at the desk while a lovely nurse named Aurora greeted him with the awful news that Liam and Elsa had died in a car accident a few hours prior.

Killian had been a coward in his telling her what happened, opting to tell her that 'mommy and daddy were going to sleep' and she'd accepted it like any other news, although slightly disappointed that her parents weren't there and her party was cancelled.

Later on the night he told her, he'd found her sobbing while asking her toys where her parents were, not receiving a reply from her stuffed Elephant or Lion and bursting into tears when she knew they weren't coming back. He'd broken when she'd curled into his arms and encouraged him to cry so that 'he wouldn't be alone, they'd help each other', knowing she'd accepted him to be upset just as much as she was.

(Elsa's sister Anna came to the funeral as did his friends Tink, Smee, Will Scarlet and Leroy- who brought his six brothers who knew Liam and Killian very well. Two weeks after they died and he had to help his beautiful niece into a funeral dress, at only five years old with tears glistening in her eyes)

He'd discovered a few weeks later that Liam and Elsa left everything to him. Absolutely everything was in his name, including Elsa's half of her business with Anna and Liam's half of theirs, and more importantly- he gained full custody of Saoirse, and was more than willing to keep her, forever with no argument and no chance of anyone taking her away from him.

However, there was one small price he had to pay.

A week after he'd gotten the news of their wishes, the nurse from before visited him with a wish from both Saoirse's parents before they died. Elsa and Liam wanted her to go to the bloody concert and take him, to give her a good memory of at least one of her birthday's since the one that year went so terribly.

Killian had accepted with ease, he would do it anyway, although he'd asked Saoirse first.

Saoirse had never been surer about anything, or at least he thought she hadn't but then he remembered how certain she'd been about wanting chocolate ice cream instead of strawberry the night before and he'd paused to consider it, in her life. She'd wanted to create a good memory and fulfill her parent's wishes to go, have something to remember them.

He'd never been so proud of her in his life.

* * *

At first it was the most horrific, terrible, frightening thing in the world to get into a routine with Saoirse. He'd had to change work schedules about one million times to suit her school routine and both missed far to much school and work to be considered healthy- both healing in their own time and just crying most of the time, more him then her if you're wondering.

Saoirse refused to leave her bed some days, wanting to stay with her Uncle Killy all day and watch cartoons, but he had a job and as much as he hated it- he put his foot down and was strict with her. She never liked it but she accepted her fate and always did what she was told, Killian barely ever got mad at her and when he did she knew she had to do whatever he asked.

Uncle Killy was a forced to be reckoned with. Now Guardian and Uncle Killian was the most stubborn ass anyone had ever known, trying to parent her in a way that didn't rival her mother or father and she'd known it was hard for him to do- and she'd apologized every time before rushing to get changed for school or to do her teeth.

It doesn't mean he was never a push over, because with one pout from her and he was putty in her little, dainty hands.

It all changed after three months before the concert, for him his life got one hundred times better- especially since he met Emma Swan on the sixteenth of May.

May the sixteenth was the best and worst day of his life, he's getting that straight right now.

At the beginning of the day he'd started singing that _bloody song_ by the buggering band during a work meeting, nothing super important- just a monthly check on everyone's progress. Cue the cliche drum solo and laughing live audience here, also insert many, many, **many** jokes about he he'd learnt Irish for most of his twenty five year old life.

(Also cue a mass amount of birthday cards for his twenty sixth five months later written in Irish that used Google Translate on _every word._ He really needed to use those meetings to educate them, that was important.)

In the middle of his day he'd discovered that Saoirse had been sick and needed someone to pick her up, he'd gotten his friend and co-worker Tink to do it so that he could finish a meeting (this time an important one) with a promise to be there within two hours.

(He aced the meeting, at first he had rushed it and the other people had been confused by as soon as he mention Saoirse- everyone in the business world apparently knew what he had done since Liam and Elsa died for Saoirse- being ill they'd all accepted just as quickly as they signed the contract and promptly left. Many people telling him as they left what a good guy he was, but he'd shrugged it off and ran out of the building, rushing past them all as they were still walking and prompting getting lots of wishes for good luck from them all.)

On his way home, he'd made one pit stop for some coffee and as soon as he walked out of the glass doors he spilled all of it onto a beautiful blondes pink jumper. "I'm so sorry!"

The blonde had smiled and waved him off, him using his napkins to help wipe her down before throwing his now half full mug in the bin behind her- strange maneuverings and more saying sorry's happened here- but she'd stopped him as she threw away her own mug, which she'd accidentally spilled hot chocolate all over the floor like _a nice person._

"It's fine, I'm fine-" He'd looked up from where they'd both been wiping at her top and let out simultaneous gasps, hers more inward than his.

She was, and probably forever will be, the most beautiful lass he's ever seen in his life. Long blonde hair cascaded down, slightly covering her face from where she'd been looking down with those beautiful green eyes- wide as anything he's ever seen and the most stunning thing he never wants to forget. "I'm Emma." She offers her his hand and he accepts it with the one not holding the wet tissues he had been wiping her down with.

"Killian, Killian Jones." Her eyes widen and he raises an eyebrow but ignores it in favor of- "I'm sorry about the coffee, I'm such an idiot, lass! I'll buy you another hot chocolate, what was your order? I could smell cinnamon I think, pretty sure I saw whipped cream on the floor when you'd spilled it, my fault, sorry again- unless I'm wrong... Sorry, love, I'm-"

"Rambling." She cuts him off before taking his arm and bringing him back inside the coffee shop. "Hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon, you're right." She'd told him and he'd gotten her another one in a flash, her offering to pay but him declining her meaningful tries.

"Let me, lass." She smiles at the pet name as the two leave the coffee shop. "To say sorry-"

"You know what, Killian Jones?" She began, cutting him off again with a grin and he looks apologetic again. "I can think of a better way to apologize to me." He raises an eyebrow. "Dinner tomorrow night, eight o'clock at Granny's?"

"Lass, would this perhaps be a date that you've asked me on?" She nods, shyly and he can't see why- he'd be stupid to say no. "Alright then, can I have your number to message you if I'm late or anything?"

He knows he's probably ruined any chances when she raises an eyebrow but then she hands him her phone from her back pocket with a smile and a sly wink. "Planning on cancelling?"

"No, no, no, NO." He denies and she snorts with laughter, making her cover her nose with her free hand and him smile at the fact he made that happen- even if he was an idiot in doing so. "It's just, I'm looking after my niece for... well forever and she's ill today and she might not, lass have I buggered this up already?"

Apparently he didn't because she just smiles and kisses his cheek as easy acceptance.

* * *

Emma and Killian have been dating for two months before he suggests telling Saoirse about it, and she happily agrees for him to tell her- seemingly very excited at the prospect of meeting the little girl he loves so dearly.

He arranges for the two of them to meet one week later but Saoirse becomes ill with a kidney infection- nothing he hasn't had to deal with her before but enough for her to be sick enough to not move from the couch or her bed for two weeks. He'd grown worried at one point at the two week mark because they were meant to see the Angel Voiced Life Ruiners in another two weeks yet she was so sick he was afraid they may cancel.

However she fully recovered and within two weeks he was helping her sit down in a Performing Arts Center in the middle of Storybrooke (his home for many years) half an hour before the singers were due to appear.

(Saoirse had whispered to him earlier that the band she loved so dearly was named Operation Cobra when they'd first formed and therefore named their albums after the different Operation's they conjured up from one of the members son, he thinks he heard the name Regina or something, however now they were named Stunning Savior due to said son's obsession with the main singers ability to save everyone around her.

Apparently Angel Voiced Life Ruiners wasn't good enough for them and he is personally offended.)

Five minutes later than expected he hear an angelic voice that he's heard before and Saoirse gasps as she spins around in her seat. All either of them can see is the back of a blonde head as the woman seems to dance around with a little ginger child with blue ribbons in her hair, the lights go out yet she continues singing and people begin to clap just as he feels Saoirse being pulled from her seat.

He feels like spinning around and yelling but then the lights come back on an he sees his niece dancing around with the blonde, who's singing hasn't stopped and she looks up to smile at him but then he sees _Emma._

His girlfriend Emma, to be precise.

Another female voice is heard that sounds angrier than Emma's and he can see it will probably be a rally between singers but Emma hasn't moved from where Saoirse is now sitting down. Emma's eyebrows furrow together but then she flounces off in time with the music, never leaving his gaze or diverting in any way, shape or form.

Emma and a black haired woman sing together, looking offended by what the other is saying and he knows what they sing because he, unlike most people there, knows Irish- and Emma knows that.

They both stomp up to the stage, meeting in the middle but are split apart by a young, pixie cut raven haired woman who looks like Emma he's sure the two could be related- but Emma never mentioned siblings, then again... Emma never mentioned this either and he's rather surprised.

A violin suddenly starts being played in the back and a blonde woman smiles with the crowd as she moves in between the three women, pushing Emma and the beginning black haired woman away from the middle one. All three voices go silent as does the violin and Saoirse cheers loudly as Emma waves a little in their direction, him nodding in her direction and suddenly they begin again.

The violin starts up again and Emma somehow moves gracefully into the middle of the stage as people still clap in time to the beat, as does Saoirse and himself (his niece admittedly a little off time at certain points).

As Emma begins to sing again, and he's sure he's never been so impressed with anyone in his life, singing about meeting 'Sailors in Galway' and she winks in his direction at every mention of the sea or a sailor- Saoirse leans into him at one point and whispers 'you're her sailor, Uncle Killy' but he just blushes and pulls her into his lap gently while she giggles and they go back to clapping.

A few minutes later, after the beat picks up cheerfully, a man who could rival Michael Flatley from _'Lord Of The Dance'_ comes on stage as Emma and her three companions prance around on stage happily, singing about her sailor once more and the blonde woman with the violin goes to the Irish dancer to be his competitor.

This continues up until Emma comes up to the middle of the stage again, singing of her wonderful sailor 'searching for a lady such as herself' and how he could be looking for 'reels and jigs and maybe more' as the other two come up and the joyful tune continues as they dance together and the other two take her hands.

To Emma's right, the raven haired woman who looked related to her reminds her of handsome men surrounding her but the other tells her of dancing and the violin player has her own solo again.

 _"Give up your dream of going away_

 _Forget your sailors in Galway."_

Emma looks visibly disappointed in forgetting her sailors and rushes away from the woman, continuing her dance with a beaming grin.

All four women dance around some more, two of them going out in the crowd to dance with others as they smile and twirl little girls around before running back up to the stage where Emma and a guitar player are laughing around and she's twirling around- every so often catching Killian's eyes and he swears she looks so happy he could cry and run to her, hugging her tightly in front of all the people and not giving a damn.

She probably would have something to say about it however.

 _"Téir abhaile riú, téir abhaile riú_

 _Téir abhaile riú Mhearai!"_

As their voices get louder, preparing for a dramatic ending, Saoirse squeal in excitement and clambers around on his lap and Killian just **knows** that Emma is laughing internally at them, he can just see it already.

They finish quite suddenly and people are on their feet at the fantastic introduction, clapping enthusiastically as Saoirse tries to wolf whistle and instead just squeals happily from her place in his arms as he also stands.

He supposes there are worse secrets for relationships to have.

* * *

Saoirse is dancing around as he holds her hand, slowly stepping down what seems like the beginning of one million stairs but they're stopped by a voice calling him, he turns while Saoirse jumps up the stair they only just climbed to greet their intruder.

"Killian, wait!" It's Emma, running to him barefoot and not having changed from the brown colored dress she looks radiant in- no jacket on her and he takes off his own to cover her, Emma pulls it around herself like she always does with his leather jacket. She inhales his scent silently, knowing he notices but never says anything, from the jacket and smiles down at a grinning Saoirse. "Did you guys enjoy the show?"

"We did, Swan, very much." Emma's smile widens but he sees the fear. "Why haven't you got any shoes?"

"Well... I wanted to make sure Saoirse enjoyed her birthday!" Emma smiles and his mind clicks that she mentioned having a present for her a few weeks before but Saoirse was ill and then she had work so she never got to give it to him, she winks at him as his niece nods excitedly. "Fantastic, would you come again?"

"YES!" The now seven year old squeals before looking down at her bare feet. "Uncle Killy, can Emma come home with us tonight?"

"Saoirse... I don't know if that's the best idea, she's probably very tired-"

"I know she's stayed round before." Both of their eyes widen and Saoirse grins, giggling at their obviousness. "I heard her come in, and then sneak out in the morning."

"Little love, why did you say anything?" Killian asks, bending down to pick up his baby niece (he doesn't care how old she is, she's his baby. Always, and that will never change!) by her waist and holding her to him.

"Because I knew you'd tell me when you wanted to, but I never knew she was a singer!" Saoirse grins, reaching for Emma happily and the blonde moves closer to allow her to grab onto her dress. "You have a nice voice, Emma."

"Well, you're an amazing dancer today." Emma winks at Killian when his nieces face morphs into one of pure joy- something he hasn't seen in a while. "Best partner ever!"

"Killy!" Saoirse smiles, practically bouncing up and down in his arms happier than he's ever seen her and he knows he's topped her birthdays before- thank God for Elsa's beforehand planning. "Emma comes home with us tonight?"

"If she wants to, only if she wants to?"

Two sets of bright blue, stunning eyes face her and she nods. Emma promises to get dressed quickly and rushes inside while Killian gets Saoirse into the car- the little girl now falling asleep in his arms.

Ten minutes later, Saoirse is practically asleep for the rest of the night as she's curled in the back seat. Emma reaches them and hands him her bag silently as she uses her signature red jacket to lay over Saoirse for a blanket and puts his black one back on- her excuse being how she doesn't want Saoirse to catch a cold, and he thinks he could love her.

But he's not sure she's ready to hear that yet, so he just kisses her cheek silently while beaming.

* * *

Emma sleeps next to Killian, only sleeping, curling into his open arms and falling into a dreamless sleep as soon as he embraces her- breathing in her scent a grinning into her wet hair, that she'd washed in his shower only one hour before.

Saoirse slept soundlessly in her room, clutching Emma's jacket while refusing to let it go- wrapping it around herself as she trots into the kitchen at six am on the Sunday morning after her birthday and Emma's singing surprise- smelling bacon and what she hopes is sausages cooking.

Grinning happily at the sight of her Uncle Killian gently nudging Emma in the kitchen as she sings the introduction song from last night and cooks something on the magnetic oven in front of her.

(Killian installed that bloody wonderful magnetic oven when she was born, renewing it all the time, so that she'd never burn herself on it- the trick is that you need special magnets on the bottom of the pots and pans that will cook somehow with the magnet on the burners yet if you were to put your hand on it, you wouldn't get burnt. Killian had always been burning himself beforehand and this was the most perfect thing he could think of, it have been helpful with a child under 5 and increasingly more helpful for a child under 10.

Bloody fantastic inventions of the world, he calls them.)

 _"Mar tá do mhargadh déanta."_ Emma finishes, fishing up on her spatula some bacon and sliding it onto a plate just as he does the same with sausages. Saoirse peers into the kitchen, red leather jacket squeaking at her movements and both adults snap their heads towards her, she smiles sheepishly and toes into the kitchen fully.

Killian picks her up and kisses her cheek noisily before walking up to Emma, who moves Saoirse's hair from her eyes and wrinkles her nose at her with a grin before he sets his niece down to pick up a plate of freshly made (homemade because it's Killian Jones we're talking about here) pancakes and waving them under Emma and Saoirse's noses before taking them to the dining table.

Emma enters with him, Saoirse in front of her holding a cup of water in one hand and a plate of croissants in the other, a plate of bacon and sausages in her hands as well as toast, black pudding, scrambled egg and omelets on another plate.

No one could ever say Killian Jones didn't feed them. That would just be a massive lie, even a snack at his home would consist of a two course meal. It's normally just him and Saoirse so he makes the most out of what he's been given but whenever people come round he's Jamie Oliver!

(He really never had people round...at all, he needs a life.)

Ten minutes later as Saoirse is rounding up another load of bacon, beans and black pudding onto her plate just as Emma is ripping into her own last piece of bacon (before seconds, I mean c'mon? It's Killian's food, you eat it _all._ ) and Killian is munching on a piece of toast with a satisfied grin. Saoirse finishes pushing piles of food towards her and suddenly knocks her Uncle's foot lightly under the table, causing him to look up at her with a loving smile and she giggles.

"What's up, little love?"

Emma shoves some more bacon in her mouth just to hide her smile at the pet name he so fondly calls his niece, ignoring the tight feeling in her chest when Saoirse beams.

"Are you annoyed at Emma?" Emma's eyes widen while his eyebrows furrow together in confusion as he reaches over to take his nieces small, skinny, hand in his own large and warm one with a small frown. "Because she didn't tell you about how she sang so pretty?"

"No, Saoirse, I'm not annoyed."

"Good!" The seven year and one day old replies with a grin and lets go of his hand, only glancing at Emma to see her looking over at her Uncle Killian with a grin and she pretends to go back to her food-however she catches the same, loving and tender, look he sends to them both in return. "Yesterday was the most fun I've had since..." She trails off and Emma coughs once, ridding herself of any bad memories that aren't hers.

"Me too, lass."

Saoirse beams at him in happiness and grasp Emma's free hand, which is laid next to her plate, and the blonde looks up in surprise. "Emma, are you and my Uncle Killy dating?"

"Yes, sweetie, is that okay?"

Saoirse nods excitedly, and Killian's afraid her head might fall off but so might his due to the pure elation he feels from hearing Emma say the word yes- it isn't healthy how happy she makes him.

(Really, really, happy. So happy he wonders if that pain over the year he felt without his brother was worth it to meet her, but it's only been a few months and its too much for both of them. At least for now.)

He thinks Saoirse must be happy too because she squeals and jumps over the table to hug her Uncle's girlfriend, the woman hugging her back with no hesitation and a grin sent directly to Killian over his nieces shoulder. "I was wrong. Now I'm the happiest I've ever been!"

He believes that he reciprocates his nieces feelings.

* * *

Killian won't lie to you, relationships are hard and they always will be. Emma and him fought all the time, mainly over the washing of their clothes or who tidied up their house, however he also won't lie to you and say that he's not happy. Because he is, he really is, and it felt impossible before to feel this happy with himself- with his life- a while ago but now he feels like he never lost this feeling.

He and Emma were together for another five months before they moved in together and Emma also become a sheriff in Storybrooke as well as keeping up with singing- something he would never want her to give up, not if she didn't want to anyway even if it would upset him greatly not to hear her singing.

Storybrooke had been wrong for a year of his life, he'd be so, so unhappy after Liam and Elsa died when him and Saoirse were alone for that year and he'd never felt so alone. Now, now that he lived with Emma and everything was going so well, he had never been happier in all of his life.

After one year and a half of dating, they get married on the beach on the sunniest day of the year- all of them barefoot and Saoirse serving as their only bridesmaid while the guests were kept at minimal, only his friends who came to the funeral, Emma's band members and their husbands or boyfriends, Killian's old friend Ruby who works in the diner they had their first date in (and Emma's apparent second best friend, after Mary Margaret) with her grandmother and husband, Victor, by her side.

During the reception, the song he'd listened to through his twenties and the first song he ever heard her sing was one of the songs everyone came up and danced to, however he danced around with Saoirse and Emma on the dance floor like him and his niece used to before Liam and Elsa died.

Emma and him moved into a home by the docks within three months of being married, the house having been picked out beforehand, and after just one month of living there they'd discovered they would be having a baby in just under seven months. They were both thrilled, if not terrified too, and went on a full rampage to tell Saoirse before anyone else found out, and to create the perfect nursery in one of their spare rooms.

They had a baby girl whom they named Connie Eliza Jones, after his mother (shortening the Elizabeth for it to become modernized), and every night they sang her that song- his voice melting into a perfect harmony with hers- and every night she would tell him he should become a singer and they coud tour around the world together as the most perfect married couple ever alive.

(He thought the name was too long, if were honest.)

Saoirse, him, Emma and Connie would always dance around to that bloody song he never got told the name of, still labelled as 'you'll never know' on his phone from when Elsa Bluetooth (ed) it to him and he'd just transferred the file from phone to phone- never able to figure out what it was called and never telling Emma he didn't know either.

He wasn't sure why.

When their little Connie turned three years and nine months old, they'd discovered they were to have another baby and this time both Connie and Saoirse squealed and ran around the house in excitement.

Emma gave him a baby boy, and they could both only think to call him Liam- something a very excited Saoirse agreed to within a second of knowing- and thus they called him Liam David (after he had grown close with Mary Margaret's husband, David Nolan, and everyone always claimed they had a 'bromance' which he never saw the appeal too.

On Saoirse's fourteenth birthday, she was now full of teenage attitude, when Liam turned one a few weeks earlier, they went to go see Emma perform for the first time since Liam was born- and it was safe to say that their little girl and Saoirse loved it while Liam spent most of the time being bounced on Killian's lap as he danced around in his seat to the music.

After the concert had ended and they went home, Connie spent the rest of the night singing in her bedroom that song he knew so well, Liam safely asleep in his bed and Saoirse complaining about the noise and not being able to sleep- yet if her smirk had anything to do with it, she didn't care all that much and took it like no chip off her shoulder.

(The Liam way, he thinks, that's where she got it from.)

 _"Téir abhaile riú Mhearai_

 _Téir abhail gus fan sa bhaile."_

He finally asks after many, many, years of not knowing and is shocked to realize how he could never figure it out for himself. Emma had laughed at shook her head at him and she danced around with Connie, and he'd joined it while spinning his wife around and then doing the same with his youngest (technically only) daughter, even if Saoirse felt like one he would never take Liam's place. Not ever, no one could fill that role- at least he never thought he could.

"It's called Téir Abhaile Riú." Emma laughs, and Saoirse shakes her head from the table as she texts her friend but Emma rushes to her and pulls her to dance with her by the couch- where they used to all the time. "How could you never know?"

"Just... an old joke from Elsa."

Emma smiles and goes back to dancing but he glances at Saoirse to find her staring at him with wide eyes.

Saoirse shares a smile with her Uncle Killy and he winks at his fourteen year old niece.

She steps up to him, perched on a kitchen stool and looking into the living room where his daughter and wife play- so happy, so carefree- and dance around to his much loved, only recently discovered the name of in the last thirty seconds, song. Saoirse rests her head on his shoulder, bracing a hand on his arm and he kisses her forehead gently, she takes a deep breath a looks up at him before glancing at their family once more.

"Thank you for being the greatest uncle alive, you're the reason why we're all here today."

"I, lass, do not agree with that last statement." She raises an eyebrow in mock offense and locks her jaw, much like he always does and he must have rubbed off on her within the last nine years- God had it been that long?

"I think your mother is the reason we're all here today."

"How come?"

"Well... if your mother hadn't of loved the bloody band- still Angel Voiced Life Ruiners even if Emma completed our lives, Connie and Liam too- then you would have never gone to that concert, never loved the band, never met Emma there, I probably wouldn't be here now. I'd be back in Ireland with you, teaching you Irish like you should do at your age- helps you understand the songs I teach you through Emma's music, little love."

Saoirse wrinkles her nose at the nickname but grins happily anyway. "I suppose so, but surely you know that I already know Irish right?" His eyes widen. "I know it's all you've ever wanted to do, no matter with me or your own children- biological children, that is-" He smiles at the way she knows he would protest. "I got recordings of Irish words, phrases and such... soon enough I met a friend who got taught it by her father."

"Do you know what Tá grá agam duit means?" He asks and she grins, nodding along and repeating the words.

"I love you too, uncle Killian."

"You're the best thing that ever happened to me, you know that?" He asks her and she shrugs. "I think you're the reason we're all here today, you and your mother."

"Maybe it's all of us." She suggests and he shrugs as they both go towards where Emma and Connie are finishing their oh-so-lovely to enjoy dancing at he lifts up his baby girl (not so much of a baby now however).

Whoever it was that got them there, he thanks them.

* * *

 **So I officially adored writing this, every single word gave me feels and I was like... crying! :) Anyway, hope you enjoyed this little one shot I spent countless of days on, anyway!**

 **Hope this can also help with the 'Captain Swan Separation Feels' I mentioned in 'All For One Little Girl' yeah, it'll probably make you feel worse if you read both one after the other.**

 **Hope you enjoyed reading just as much as I LOVED writing it. :)**


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